Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
by DominoMags
Summary: After returning back to campus after a raid on a Yakuza hideout, Izuku and his friends are greeted by their friends and classmates. However, an unexpected source of comfort comes to Izuku, bearing company.


It was certainly a successful mission, with Chisaki in custody, his plans thwarted, and Eri rescued. However, the hideout raid had taken its toll, with the death of Sir Nighteye, the loss of Mirio's quirk, and several severe injuries, though ultimately, everyone who survived would be fine. Physically at least.

Izuku had made it out surprisingly okay for the most part, due in no small part to the girl he helped rescue. Still, this all left him worn and weary.

Upon arriving back at UA, Izuku, Kirishima, Ochako, and Tsuyu were greeted by their worried and excited classmates, who were happy to have their friends back and worried about their well-being.

Mina, who had gone to middle school with Kirishima, had asked how he was doing, prompting him to state that he still had work to do until he felt worthy, she promptly moved on. She trusted the boy she knew since middle school and hoped he could get past the low opinion he had of himself in comparison to others, but they still weren't exactly that close. Perhaps, one day, they could become real friends. She would like that. Shifting her attention to Koda's pet rabbit, which she had borrowed, she decided a bit of animal therapy would help ease everyone's tension, especially those who had returned from the hideout raid. Tsuyu held the small animal in her arms like an infant for a while, and Ochako had her chance as well. However, there was one more person Mina felt needed to relieve their inner turmoil by petting the bunny. She approached him and asked the same question she asked her "Horn buddy".

"Are you okay?" Mina asked.

"I'm Alright." He responded.

Unconvinced, Mina offered the rabbit, almost forcing it upon the inheritor of One for All. The small white animal squirmed in her grasp for a few seconds before settling down.

"Good. Here you go." She handed the rabbit over. "Check him out! He's so cute and fuzzy. Pet the bunny. He will help you feel better."

Izuku hesitated, shaking a little as he held out his hand towards the rabbit. Mina raised an eyebrow and leaned in towards Izuku, making him more nervous, due to how close she was. Her radiant smile and citrusy scent were making him nervous.

"Didn't think you would be so freaked out over petting a bunny, dude." She chided lightheartedly.

"W-well I…I don't want to hurt the bunny…I kind of have a habit of breaking my own body."

"Yeah, you do. Don't worry though. I doubt you'll smack the bunny onto the ground."

"I... I don't know..." he reached out and gently stroked the rabbit. He was so fearful of breaking it, and yet nothing bad happened. Rather, his cares started melting away. "It's soft and fragile, and so gentle." All-Might's protegee carefully took the bunny and held him. Izuku's eyes shimmered with astonishment at how calming this creature was. The rabbit twitches his nose as Izuku tried not to gush. "He… he really is cute."

"I know, right? Everyone else thought so too." The acid girl chirped, happy to help a classmate and to play with a cute animal.

Izuku nodded gratefully at Mina "T-thank you, Ashido-chan." Though they barely interacted, Izuku had to admit he had admired her bouncy personality and infectious cheer for some time, though through a mix of anxiety and higher priorities, he had never been able to say as such.

"No problem, Midori. Happy to assist!"

"I…. I wish we talked more…"

"Hmm?"

"Well…we've only talked a handful of times, but I wish we had conversed more…"

"Well, we're talking now, right?" she smiled. "But yeah. I wish we did too. Glad we're finally having a conversation though. I can tell you how cool you are in depth."

Izuku blushed intensely, looking like a tomato with broccoli on top. He stammered his way back towards coherence while Mina giggled.

"Man, you are a mess around girls, arentcha?" Mina teased "I don't recall you being this flustered around me before."

"Y-you didn't compliment me that much before."

"Course I did! I said you were awesome at dodging."

"This little guy really is cute…should we name him?"

"Um…He's Koda's, so probably not. The guy never speaks though, so not sure what the bunny's name is. We could give him a nickname though."

"Y-yeah. Like how you call me Midori." Mina nodded cheerfully. "W-what should we call him?"

Mina stroked her chin and narrowed her eyes, tongue stuck out as she thought hard. Finally, inspiration struck.

"Ok, Midori. Roll with me on this, ok?"

Izuku nods.

"So, he's small, soft, fluffy, and fragile. I'm not sure if you've been kicked by a rabbit, but they really smart!"

"So fluffy, cute, and packs a wallop. Pretty sure there is only one namesake appropriate."

Izuku smiled at Mina's reasoning, as he was happy to see his classmate use calm reasoning. She seemed happy enough, but her grades weren't anything newsworthy. However, once he connected the dots, he froze and started to blush. Mina held up the bunny gleefully.

"I dub thee Mini-Deku!"

"W-what?"

"Yup. Small, fluffy, hilariously cute, and has a mean kick. It fits!" she grins triumphantly before handing the bunny back to Izuku. The two fluffy powerhouses stared at each other before Izuku sighed and stroked the bunny. Still a blushing mess, Izuku managed to compose himself enough to speak.

"T-thanks I guess…. So…I…I'm cute?" he blushed and looked down at his shoes. He asked himself why his chest was tightening so much. He knew he had felt this way for a while, but never gave it much thought. Other things always took precedent.

"I mean…it depends. You are pretty plain looking." The acidic girl averted her eyes skyward as she thought aloud, her lower lip hanging open for a second. This alone was enough to make Izuku feel butterflies, but he fought them back with an emotional bat as hard as he could without breaking anything.

Izuku slumped down further with the rabbit in his lap. He certainly wasn't expecting to be complimented by a girl he barely talked too, let alone being called plain-looking in the same conversation. He probably should have expected as such.

"But you get embarrassed easily. You stutter and stumble a lot. and you get really nervous and shy. Plus, you can get excited and emotional. And that's really cute."

Izuku blushed and looked down, but couldn't help but feel warmer. He was taken by surprise, yet he was surprisingly welcoming of it. "You're sweet too, Ashido."

Taken aback by his more forward comment, Mina flashed a brighter smile" Well look at you, being all friendly." She grinned and plopped down right next to him.

"W-well, it's only polite. You checked up on me and offered me the rabbit." Izuku stammered as he spoke, feeling his breath drawn out as he gazed back.

He couldn't even remember at this point when he first noticed that he liked Mina. Everything had been such a blur of villains and academics that he didn't have much time to consider things or even get to know her better. He ended up just talking to the people he was already most familiar with, mostly. Any feelings he had considered for the girl with the dark eyes, he had shoved into an emotional filing cabinet to sort out later. And yet, they found a way back, whether it be the death of a man reminding Izuku how fleeting life can be, said girl calling him cute, or both, Izuku couldn't say at this point. Not when such things rendered him tongue tied.

"Aaaaand there's the cuteness." She giggled, stretching her arms in the air. Izuku tried averting his eyes. The last thing he wanted to be was a pervert, especially towards someone kind enough to stay with him despite the lack of familiarity in comparison to others he knew. That had never stopped her from coming up to him before though, even if it was just a handful of times. He looked straight ahead and tried striking any thoughts of her athletic frame from his head. Even if it was natural for a boy his age, it just wasn't heroic in his eyes.

"I…. I…. I-I-I" Izuku was as red as he could get now, shaking like a leaf from how flustered he was. Mina was pretty sure she saw steam erupting from his ears. His eyes clenched shut as he gritted his teeth. "You…. You're cute too!" he blurted out, covering his mouth almost immediately. He screamed internally at the words he had just unleashed onto the world. He could have sworn he hat garnered a few stares from nearby classmates.

It was now Mina's turn to blush, her eyes widening as her cheeks flushed with lilac. She was stunned. "Are…Are you serious, dude? I mean, have you freakin' seen me?" she looked at her hands, grimacing slightly.

Izuku calmed down again and spoke. He didn't like being dishonest. There were some cases he had to lie, such as about the nature of the quirk he now held, or how both he and All Might were born quirkless before gaining their abilities. Even then, though, Izuku preferred being truthful in most cases. It didn't feel right to lie, even in those cases where it was justified. "Yeah…."

Mina vigorously shook her head so that her hair whipped against her horns. "Not sure if you noticed, but I'm not exactly average looking. I mean I'm not really bothered by it, but...No one's ever told me how pretty I am or that I'm cute. My mom and dad, maybe. That's it. It's usually 'Wow, are you an alien?' or, 'you look pretty weird'. Were you born with horns or did they develop with your quirk?' 'Why are your eyes like that?'…I was just sort of... surprised by what you said. That's all"

"Well...um...um... you are... You're just... pretty...and cheerful... and confident... I respect that...I... I wish I had talked to you more." "And...I like how you look..." Izuku recounted all the things he noticed about this girl. Though her grades were rather poor, but he certainly didn't thing of her as an idiot. What's more, he couldn't keep his face from turning red as he went on.

"Well….um…this came from nowhere." She frowned, a blush evident in her cheeks. "But it's really sweet. Thanks."

"So are you... for calling me cute and fluffy..." Izuku chuckled softly. He was incredibly flustered, and yet he was feeling calmed somewhat by her reaction to his words. "T-thanks for that….and for checking on me…even if you didn't have to."

"No problem, dude. We're friends, aren't we? Of course, I had to" She smiles. "No need to thank me for that."

Izuku smiled back. He chuckled lightly to himself. "Y-yeah. Friends... Um…want to play with Mini Deku?" Izuku offered her the rabbit, but froze "... if you want to, that is." He paused, then backpedaled a little. "Actually...maybe everyone else wants to pet it first..."

"I already brought him along to everybody. It's just you, me and Mini Deku." Mina grinned. "We should probably find a nice corner though. I think we have an audience." Mina gestured to their classmates, some of whom were staring at the awkward flirtation taking place. "Do you guys mind?" Mina frowned as she took the bunny in her arms, stood up, and beckoned her curly haired compatriot to follow. He paused like a cat that had been shown a tutorial on landscaping, then followed close behind, nodding in agreement.

Once they had found a quieter area, Izuku broke the silence. "Hey, Ashido?"

"Yuh-huh?" she turned to face him with an absentminded look on her face.

"I…It's not that I don't appreciate it…but why did you stay with me? You could have gone back to talking to your other friends."

"Eager to get rid of me, huh?" She pouted. She was having too much fun teasing this boy, though in all honesty, she was enjoying his company.

The green-haired boy waved his arms frantically, trying not to startle the rabbit too much. Luckily, Mini Deku was nonplussed. "N-no. T-that's not what I'm saying at all…. we just…barely talk. Last time I talked to you, you asked to join me at…" Memories of the man he watched die came flooding back, hitting him like a baseball bat to the back of the skull.

Mina noticed and patted him on the shoulder, taking a seat next to him as he slid slowly down the wall. "I'm sorry, Midori."

"It's fine. It's not your fault. You…. you weren't there…. I was and…. I couldn't do anything." The boy could feel tears coming. He was just an absolute whirlwind of emotional garbage right now, between unrequited feelings and unassuaged guilt, he honestly just needed to sit down.

Mina pondered for a moment. "Hmmmmm. Nope" Mina stared straight at Izuku, his eyes locking with hers at her initial response. "Didn't you save a little girl? Wasn't there some Yakuza guy who needed to be stopped?"

"Yeah…."

"Midori…. you may not have done everything you wish you could have done, but what you did is still cool! If the bunny doesn't help, I hope that does"

"T-thanks….It does a little bit. So, have you had pets before?" Izuku smiled softly at her.

"Just a cat when I was a kid. He ran away though." Mina looked off into space as she recalled the loss of her childhood pet. "His name was Colin."

"Sorry to hear." Izuku looked at her sympathetically. "That must have been rough."

"It's fine. Now anyway. I cried for days when it happened. It was years ago though." Mina smiled at Izuku, then looked at the rabbit in his lap and focused her attention on that. "Man, I love this little guy. How about you? Did you have any pets?" her attention returned to Izuku once more.

Izuku looked down at his feet as he spoke up. "I had a crab once."

"…. A crab?" the pink girl raised an eyebrow as she stopped petting Mini Deku. This was too good for her not to hear.

"My mom was allergic to most pets and we lived in an apartment that didn't allow cats or dogs." The future symbol of peace explained. "But I really wanted a pet, so we went to the pet store and I settled on a crab."

"I mean…. I guess that makes sense, but…a crab!" Mina snickered.

"…. his…. his name was crawl Might." Izuku sighed, trying

Mina tried her hardest to contain her laughter, but it was a futile effort, as she nearly spooked Mini Deku with her cackling. It was the most ridiculously cute thing she had ever heard, wrapped up in a bad pun.

"Why did you even have a pet crab? I mean…I know you just explained, but seriously….why?" she continued laughing, her face bright lilac from how amused she was at the moment.

"We couldn't have cats or dogs in our apartment. Fish and stuff were ok though."

"I can understand that… but a crab?" She could not help herself. She didn't want to hurt the boy, but there was no way she would let him live this down, especially if they…. no. She shook her head and tried to get such thoughts out. It didn't really work though.

"He…. he looked cool! I liked his colors. The…they resembled All Might."

"How does…sorry dude. It's just funny."

"Yeah…" he chuckled. "I guess it is." The laughter died down and the mood became somber again.

"Sorry again about Nighteye" Mina consoled him.

"I remember when you asked to join me there…. probably best you didn't." He sighed, still feeling that weight on his shoulders and in his chest.

"Maybe…. I'd still be here right next to you regardless." She stretched her arms and rested them behind her head, closing one eye as she smirked back at him. She offered him a handkerchief to wipe his tears away, which he promptly did.

"….. Hey….um…. why did you ask me if you could join me?" Izuku inquired, hoping to get insight into a question he had asked himself that day, but since forgotten until that moment.

She shrugged and proceeded to hold the bunny's ears so that they weren't visible. She chuckled at how cute it was before returning to the question at hand. "I dunno. Just wanted to be friendly, I guess."

"I…. not that I don't appreciate it…. we just barely spoke. I…I thought you would want to join Kirishima or As…Tsuyu, or Kaminari."

"I mean…. I could have…I don't talk to Kirishima that much, despite us going to middle school together. I probably should."

"You…. you went to middle school with him?" Izuku was surprised by this revelation. He had assumed they were friends, but didn't know they had that much history.

"Yep." She petted the bunny and stretched her legs out a bit.

"I…. I didn't know." Izuku started to think that maybe, Mina and Kirishima would be a thing. This made him a little sad, but they had a shared history and he couldn't erase that. They certainly would get along better. Still, as Mina had stated, she didn't talk to the hardening quirk user all that much.

"You said it yourself. We haven't really talked much. Plus, it never came up. He doubted himself. Still does, I guess. Kinda like you." Mina stated, not expecting him to know everything. How could he? He was one of the smartest kids in class, but he wasn't a god or anything. Besides, he was kind of a dope when it came to some things, like interacting with girls and not destroying his own limbs. Still, Mina couldn't put her finger on it, but she trusted him enough to share a tidbit with him that she thought he might appreciate.

"Did I ever tell you how I stood up to a villain in middle school?"

"…. WHAT?" Izuku's eyes nearly popped out of his skull, gaining a brief smile from Mina.

Mina spoke seriously as she absentmindedly petted the bunny. "Yeah…. I was really scared. I cried afterwards. It was this big dude in a sheet though. He was looking for a hero's office. My friends were in his way, so I stepped in to protect them and move him towards someone who could deal with him…. Kind of makes me ashamed over how useless I was at USJ and our year 1 practical. I wish I had stood up more"

Izuku placed a hand on her shoulder, albeit somewhat shakily. "You…you're going to be ok. You managed to get into UA… you passed your license exam. That's not nothing." She smiled softly, prompting Mina to do the same. Before she could thank him, he had more to say. "…. I stood up to a villain too…." Izuku confessed.

"I know." Mina took Mini Deku and started petting him as well.

"W-wha?" Izuku reacted less extremely, yet was still taken by surprise.

"It was on tv, dude. I had forgotten, because, well…sorry, but you are plain looking." She looked upwards as she recounted the news broadcast.

"Gee thanks…" he exhaled and frowned.

"I said you were still cute, man. Relax." She scoffed playfully. "Anyway, I remembered it the other day. The kid who was captured by the villain was Bakugou, right? And you guys went to middle school too I guess."

"Yeah…. we aren't on the best of terms, but he was my childhood friend until he got his quirk…. I was kind of a late bloomer. My quirk…. It didn't really manifest itself until later. He used to pick on me…. he thought I was quirkless. For a while, so did I…. But he used to…" Izuku stopped himself. He didn't know why he was opening now. Mina glared briefly at Bakugou and frowned intensely before returning her attention to Izuku, who had decided to change the subject a bit, lest he reveal too much. "Anyway…. I'm glad you thought it was cool."

"Cool? You're amazing, dude! I'm sorry I didn't say so earlier." She cheered.

"Hehehe…. Thanks for cheering me up. First you pulled the bunny out of seemingly nowhere."

"I got him from Koda." She stuck her tongue out in jest.

"Y-yeah, but I didn't notice you grab him. B-between that and talking me out of the blue…. I…thank you…. you made me feel better."

"What can I say. Just call me Mina the Magician." She pulled out a collapsible Top hat and put it on, winking at her new friend, prompting astonishment and a warm laugh from him.

"Should we return Koda's rabbit?" Izuku asked while holding up the aforementioned lagomorph.

"Probably. He might be confused as to why we're calling him Mini Deku."

"W-we could call him Bunnyshido…. because he's cute, fluffy, energetic and helped cheer me up."

"Stop, dude. You're going to make me blush. Also, don't drop Minadeku"

"Wait what?" Izuku looked wide-eyed at the pink girl, unsure of what she meant.

"Mini Deku" she clenched her eyes shut and corrected herself, blushing deeper. She sighed and regained composure. "Hey, Midori…. Um…. what about me is even cute to you exactly?"

"Um…. I…I-I-I-I" He paused and exhaled, trying to calm himself down and give her an answer. "You're just…. really friendly and energetic. It…intimidated me a little at first, but I…I admire how outgoing you are. A good hero can put civilians at ease, make them feel at peace. And…you do it with a smile. In a way, you kind of remind me of All-Might in that way. And…and…. your eyes are really pretty and unique and GAWK" he silenced himself out of embarrassment as he slapped both hands over his mouth, staring wide-eyed in surprise at how he was gushing right now.

"Dude, stooooop." She hid her blush with her hair but giggled while doing so. She was embarrassed but not exactly ungrateful for the compliments. She hadn't exactly received many for her appearance, mostly just ones about how odd she appeared or some gross ones from perverts.

"S-sorry, Ashido. I…. I don't know why I'm acting like this." He shook his head, eyes clenched shut. This all seemed so out of character for him. What was he doing? Was he using her as an escape for everything he was dealing with? If so, that was selfish of him and unfair to her. "I'm sorry if I am" Before he could finish his thoughts, she interrupted him.

"Hey…. Do you want to go out sometime?" she looked up at him, still blushing.

"I…." the One for All inheritor froze, feeling himself overload from what he had just been asked.

"It's fine if you don't want" she blushed and shuffled her feet while the bunny shifted a little.

"I'D LOVE TO!" the green haired boy shouted, prompting his classmates to look at him with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Mina blushed and grinned. Wow, someone's eager."

"Don't worry about it. I'm happy you said yes." Mina gently punched his arm after handing off Mini Deku.

"We should probably return Mini Deku first."

"Yeah. I doubt he wants us stealing his pet. Not exactly a heroic thing to do."

"Y-yeah. I suppose not."

"He is super cute though, so it's tempting. Guess I have to settle for you." She winked.

Izuku was incapable of forming coherent words at this point, but he managed to calm himself down after a few minutes. At this point, he had taken down the head of the Yakuza and witnessed death and destruction. Flirtation was slightly less scary now. That didn't mean it wasn't still intimidating though.

"Easy, dude. I'm not that pretty." She chuckled lightly and took his hand. "And don't say I am. We're both blushing enough as it is." Izuku nodded and took her hand. He was shaking a little, but it felt so warm and inviting.

"By the way, Midori?" Mina paused.

"Y-yes?" he craned his neck.

She pecked him on the cheek and smiled. "Call me Mina."

Izuku nearly fainted, but regained his footing and managed to cool down as his friend laughed, holding onto the bunny. The hero students walked back towards their friends to return the bunny to Koda before they returned to their rooms and smiled, hands touching ever so slightly.


End file.
